Alexa Notifications

Alexa Notifications

Since November 2017, Amazon is providing support for Notifications on Alexa. The notifications work on Amazon Echo (1st Generation), Amazon Echo (2nd Generation), Echo Dot, Echo Show, Echo Spot, Echo Plus, and compatible Alexa-enabled devices. Alexa uses visual and audio prompts on the device to let users know when they have a new notification: On Echo devices: The device chimes and the light ring pulses yellow. On the Echo screen: A notifications banner displays at the top of the device screen.

How to turn on/off the Alexa Notifications

To enable notifications in Alexa, users need to go to Settings, Accounts, and Notifications. Then under Amazon Feature, there is the option. The same for apps, on Skills.

Alexa commands for the notifications

Get your new notifications: “Read my Notifications.” or “What did I miss?”Move to the next or previous notification: “Next.” or “Previous.”Clear all of your notifications: “Delete all of my notifications.”Turn on Do Not Disturb: “Don’t disturb me.”Turn off Do Not Disturb: “Turn off Do Not Disturb.”

For Developers / Marketeers

The apps on Alexa have documentation about how to use the notifications on the API.

Here the process:

Enable: The user enables notifications for an Alexa skill or domain using the Amazon Alexa App.Generate: The Alexa skill or domain generates notifications that are sent to a cloud-based queue.Queue: The queue stores new (unplayed), and archived notifications.Indicate: SetIndicator directives are sent to all AVS-enabled devices connected to the user’s account. The user is notified visually and/or audibly based on two things: i) what the product supports, ii) what’s included in the directive’s payload.Retrieve: The user asks, “Alexa, what are my notifications?” A Speak directive is sent to the AVS-enabled product that the request originated from, and all new notifications are played for the user. When playback is complete, a ClearIndicator directive is sent that instructs your product to clear any notifications indicators. After a notification is read, it is archived in the cloud for 24 hours and then automatically deleted. End users can also navigate between notifications, by saying “Alexa, next” or “Alexa, back”, or delete notifications by saying “Alexa, delete all”.